Grilled Clambake Food

GRILLED CLAMBAKE

Steps:

• Toss the basil, dill and chives in a small bowl. Whisk the mayonnaise with half the serrano, the lemon zest, lemon juice, 1 grated garlic clove, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 2 tablespoons water in a medium bowl. Stir in 2/3 cup of the herbs (set aside the rest for topping). Cover and refrigerate.
• Using kitchen shears, cut along the outer curve of the shrimp shells from the head end to 1/4 inch from the tail. Remove the top vein and rinse the shrimp under cold water (leave the shrimp in their shells). Transfer to a large bowl and add 6 cups cold water, 3 tablespoons salt and the sugar; stir. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour. Put the clams in a separate bowl, add enough cold water to cover and stir in 1/4 cup salt; cover and refrigerate 1 hour.
• Preheat a grill to medium high. Toss the potatoes with 1/4 cup olive oil, 1 tablespoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper in a medium bowl. Place the potatoes in a single layer in the center of a large sheet of heavy-duty foil. Wrap and seal into a packet, then wrap in another piece of foil to cover the seam side. Grill, flipping, until the potatoes are charred and tender, about 20 minutes per side. Keep wrapped.
• Meanwhile, set aside a 4-inch piece of sausage for the clams. Grill the remaining sausage until charred, 4 to 6 minutes per side. Let cool, then cut into 3-inch pieces; cover to keep warm. Grill the corn, turning, until charred, 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool, then cut each ear in half crosswise. Drain the shrimp and grill in batches until lightly charred, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes per side. Toss the corn and shrimp with the melted butter and the remaining grated garlic clove. Cover and set aside.
• Drain and rinse the clams. Slice the reserved sausage 1/4 inch thick. Heat the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet on the grill. Add the sliced sausage and cook, tossing, until just starting to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the fennel, shallots and the remaining serrano and cook, stirring, until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the 4 sliced garlic cloves and the tomato paste and cook until the tomato paste turns brick red, about 1 minute. Add the wine and cook until reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Add the clams, cover and cook until all the clams have opened, 5 to 10 minutes. (Discard any unopened clams.)
• Combine the corn, shrimp, grilled sausage and potatoes on a large platter. Leave the clams in the skillet. Serve with lemon wedges, the reserved herbs and the herbed mayonnaise.

KITCHEN CLAMBAKE

Steps:

• Slice the kielbasa diagonally into 1-inch thick slices. Set aside. Saute the onions and leeks in the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed 16 to 20 quart stockpot over medium heat for 15 minutes, until the onions start to brown.
• Layer the ingredients on top of the onions in the stockpot in this order: first the potatoes, salt, and pepper; then the kielbasa, little neck clams, steamer clams, mussels, shrimp, and lobsters. Pour in the white wine. Cover the pot tightly and cook over medium-high heat until steam just begins to escape from the lid, about 15 minutes. Lower the heat to medium and cook another 15 minutes. The clambake should be done. Test to be sure the potatoes are tender, the lobsters are cooked, and the clams and mussels are open. Remove the lobsters to a wooden board, cut them up, and crack the claws. With large slotted spoons, remove the seafood, potatoes, and sausages to a large bowl and top with the lobsters. Season the broth in the pot to taste, and ladle over the seafood, being very careful to avoid any sand in the bottom.

GRILLED CLAMBAKE WITH MISO-LIME BUTTER

Steps:

• Place clams in a large bowl of heavily salted cold water. Let soak 20 minutes. Drain and scrub any clams that are still dirty or sandy.
• Pulse butter, miso, ginger, lime zest, and red pepper flakes in a food processor until smooth and well incorporated. Set aside half of miso butter for serving. Transfer remaining miso butter to a small bowl.
• Prepare a grill for medium-high heat. Arrange 2 layers of 2 large pieces of foil on a work surface, overlapping to create one large surface area. Place potatoes in center of foil in 1 layer and dot with 2 Tbsp. miso butter. Season with 1 3/4 tsp. salt. Fold up sides of foil, then crimp and fold to seal. Transfer to a large rimmed baking sheet.
• Arrange 2 more layers of 2 large pieces of foil in the same way to create 1 large surface area. Place half of clams in center of foil, dot with 1 1/2 Tbsp. miso butter, and enclose in a purse shape (so you can take a peek at clams when cooking). Repeat with more foil and remaining clams. Transfer both packets of clams to pan with potatoes.
• Arrange shrimp, corn, and scallions on another large rimmed baking sheet in separate sections. Drizzle with oil; season with 1 1/4 tsp. salt. Toss to coat.
• Grill potatoes, turning every 5 minutes, until tender when pricked with a toothpick, about 25 minutes total. Return potatoes in foil back to baking sheet to keep warm.
• After potatoes have been cooking for 10 minutes, grill corn, brushing occasionally with miso butter and turning every 3-4 minutes, until charred in some spots, about 10 minutes total. Return corn to baking sheet and cover with foil to keep warm. Grill clams until they open, 10-15 minutes. Transfer to pan with potatoes and corn.
• Grill scallions and shrimp, brushing with miso butter and turning once halfway through, until scallions are charred and shrimp is cooked through, 4-6 minutes, depending on their size. Return to baking sheet.
• Cut each ear of corn into 4 pieces and divide between 2 platters. Divide potatoes, shrimp, scallions, and clams between platters, then pour clam juices over. Top with cilantro and sesame seeds. Serve with reserved miso butter, lime wedges, and lots of napkins.
• Do Ahead: Miso butter can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and chill. Potato packets and clam packets can be grilled 1 day ahead. Enclose packets and chill.

SEAFOOD CLAMBAKE

Steps:

• For the clambake: Preheat a grill or prepare coals in a fire pit with a grill grate to high heat. Combine 8 cups water and the House Seasoning in a large, deep roasting pan. Add the potatoes and sausage. Place on the grill grate, cover with foil and bring the water to a boil. Let boil 6 minutes. Add the corn, mussels, clams, lemons and onions. Cover and cook for 10 minutes. Add the lobster tails and shrimp. Dot the top with the butter and pour the wine over the top. Cover and cook until the corn is tender and all the seafood is done, about 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, make the Bloody Mary Cocktail Sauce: Stir together the ketchup, horseradish, Worcestershire, lemon juice, garlic, vodka, hot sauce and celery seeds in a medium bowl. Serve the seafood clambake with the cocktail sauce and the white wine-butter pan sauce.
• Stir together the garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Store in an airtight container.

TRADITIONAL CLAMBAKE

Steps:

• Preheat grill to medium-high (350 to 400 F).
• Combine butter, lemon juice, garlic powder, salt, cayenne and thyme in small bowl: set aside.
• Line large bowl with 2 sheets of aluminum foil.
• Fill evenly with one-fourth of the shrimp, potatoes, corn, clams and sausage.
• Drizzle with butter mixture.
• Close foil packet by bringing corners together at tip and pressing together tightly to seal. Repeat to make 4 packets.
• Grill packets, covered, 20 to 25 minutes or until clams open and shrimp are opaque. To serve, place packets on large plates and open to vent.

GRILLED CLAM BAKE

Steps:

• Tap clams; discard any that do not close., In a large disposable roasting pan, layer the clams, corn, potatoes, onions, wine, herbs, oil, garlic, pepper, pepper sauce, salt and bay leaves. Grill, covered, over medium heat for 15 minutes., Add crab; cook until potatoes are tender, 25-30 minutes. Discard bay leaves; stir in butter. Serve with bread if desired.

ULTIMATE CLAMBAKE

Steps:

• Before you leave the house, put the potatoes and a few large pinches of salt in a very large pot and add water to cover; bring to a boil and cook until they are about half done, 10 to 15 minutes. Drain and transfer to a container to take with you to beach.
• Take all the ingredients to the beach, along with a shovel, a tarp, a few garbage bags, a bucket, some cheesecloth, a box of matches, lots of newspaper, firewood and kindling. Find a spot above the high-water mark and dig a 4-by-2-by-2-foot hole. Build a fire in the hole with newspaper, kindling and some wood. (Keep everything else upwind of the fire.) Feed the fire quickly and steadily with more kindling and wood.
• Find about 30 rocks, each 6 by 4 inches or bigger. Start adding the rocks to the fire, a few at a time, slowly over the course of about an hour, while continuing to feed the fire with wood. While the rocks are heating, gather enough seaweed to half-fill 2 or 3 garbage bags.
• When the rocks are white hot (this should take about an hour), stop adding wood but let the fire continue to burn. Meanwhile, make 8 to 12 cheesecloth packages, each containing a few of the clams, mussels and potatoes. Peel back the husks of the corn but don't remove them; remove as much of the silk as you can, then fold the husks back into place.
• Remove any remaining wood from the fire with a shovel; a bed of coals topped by a layer of white-hot rocks should remain. Immediately dump the seaweed over the rocks, creating a layer at least 2 to 3 inches thick; no rocks should remain exposed or you will burn the food (and maybe the tarp). Sprinkle the seaweed with about a gallon of seawater. Put the cheesecloth packages, corn and lobsters in a single layer on top of the seaweed. Cover the food in an additional layer of seaweed and cover the entire pit with a tarp, weighing the edges of the tarp down with rocks.
• Cook undisturbed for 30 to 40 minutes. Put the butter in a heatproof saucepan. When the seafood is ready, peel back the tarp and put the pan of butter on the fire until it melts. Remove the tarp entirely, transfer the food to serving platters and serve everything with the melted butter, lemon wedges and more salt.